Jerry Myers is Smith Debnam's Managing Partner. He concentrates his practice in the area of creditors' rights, with an emphasis on debt collection, judgment enforcement, and commercial litigation. Jerry recently served as President of the Commercial Law League of America, the nation's preeminent organization of creditors' rights professionals, and is certified in the field of Creditors' Rights Law by the American Board of Certifications. Jerry was also instrumental in forming the North Carolina Creditors' Bar Association, a specialty bar whose members are committed to advocating for the rights of those who make credit available, as well as to educate the general public on managing credit effectively.  He currently serves as this organization's President.

Jerry represents clients in the credit and collections industry in a variety of settings including litigation, regulatory compliance and licensing matters, and general business representation. He has practiced in the creditors’ rights field for more than 20 years and has written and lectured extensively on debt collection and judgment enforcement. Jerry frequently presents CLE programs sponsored by institutions including Wake Forest University School of Law, the North Carolina Bar Foundation, the Commercial Law League of America, and the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys.

Areas of Practice

  • Creditors' Rights and Collections

Admissions

  • North Carolina State Bar
  • South Carolina State Bar

Education

  • J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law, 1984
  • B.S., Wake Forest University, 1980
  • A.A., summa cum laude, Wingate University, 1978

Certifications

  • Certified as a Creditors’ Rights Specialist by the American Board of Certification
  • Listed among North Carolina Super Lawyers 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
  • Featured as an “Industry Giant” representing the Commercial Law League of America in Collections & Credit Risk magazine, May 2006

Professional Affiliations

  • Commercial Law League of America; President, 2005-2006
  • National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys
  • North Carolina Creditors Bar Association (NCCBA), President
  • American Bar Association
  • North Carolina Bar Association
  • Wake County Bar Association; Past President, Young Lawyer’s Division
  • Listed among North Carolina Super Lawyers® for Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights

Civic Involvement

  • American Red Cross Triangle Chapter, Board of Directors
  • Better Business Bureau of Eastern North Carolina; General Counsel (pro bono)
  • White Memorial Presbyterian Church, Member; Sunday School teacher
  • North Carolina Museum of History; Associate Member
  • North Carolina Museum of Art; Associate Member

Published Articles

  • Collections and Enforcement of Judgments in North Carolina, Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, 1997 (The leading creditors’ rights treatise in North Carolina.)
  • Contributing author, Judgment Enforcement, Aspen Publishers (A national treatise that focuses on creditors’ remedies.)
  • Contributing author, Commercial Law and Practice Guide, Matthew-Bender (A general treatise on commercial law.)
  • Contributing author, Manual of Credit and Commercial Laws, NACM, 2005, (A general treatise on commercial law.)
  • An Overview of UCITA, Commercial Law Journal (Fall 2001)

Attorney News & Announcements